Thursday night in the Europa League brought a range of outcomes for British clubs. Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat away to AZ Alkmaar stands out as a significant result. This loss makes Ange Postecoglou’s quest for silverware in his second season with the club considerably more challenging, especially with the second leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium looming in a week.
Manchester United appear to be in a favorable position in their round of 16 tie after securing a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad on the road. Meanwhile, Lyon and Rangers are in strong contention for the quarterfinals, both achieving 3-1 victories away against FCSB and Rangers, respectively.
Europa League Match Scores
- AZ Alkmaar 1, Tottenham 0
- Real Sociedad 1, Manchester United 1
- FCSB 1, Lyon 3
- Fenerbahce 1, Rangers 3
- Lazio 2, Viktoria Plzen 1
- Bodo/Glimt 3, Olympiacos 0
- Frankfurt 2, Ajax 1
- Roma 2, Athletic Bilbao 1
Fernandes Penalty Conceded as Manchester United Draws Away
Manchester United will likely consider their away leg against Real Sociedad a successful mission, despite what seemed like a difficult challenge beforehand. However, the 1-1 draw could have been even more advantageous had Bruno Fernandes not given away a penalty shortly after Joshua Zirkzee had put the visitors ahead at Anoeta Stadium.
United largely controlled the first half, although clear-cut chances were limited. They effectively prevented Real Sociedad from testing Andre Onana, who didn’t have a single save to make. At the opposite end, Alex Remiro, Real Sociedad’s goalkeeper, was much busier, along with defender Aritz Eluostondo, who twice cleared shots off the goal line as the visitors intensified pressure around the 36th minute. The best opportunity of the half didn’t even result in a shot, with Diogo Dalot failing to deliver a cross when Rasmus Hojlund was making a promising run into the penalty area.
After withstanding early pressure in the second half, United regained control and took the lead in the 57th minute. Alejandro Garnacho’s dribble drew in three defenders after a strong run from Dalot. Garnacho then passed to Zirkzee, whose low shot beat Remiro at his near post.
Real Sociedad, missing the unwell Martin Zubimendi, struggled in multiple facets of the game. They had difficulty defending the space in front of their box and progressing the ball through United’s midfield. It didn’t appear that the home side increased their pressure significantly after conceding, but they received a fortunate break when a Fernandes handball in the box from a corner was reviewed and penalized by VAR. Mikel Oyarzabal converted the resulting penalty, sending Onana the wrong way.
From that point, Real Sociedad looked more likely to score a winner. Substitute Sheraldo Becker set up Orri Oskarsson at the far post, but the young player shot wide, possibly due to pressure from Leny Yoro. Oskarsson continued to pose a threat in the final minutes, forcing a good save from Onana with a shot from a tight angle.
Spurs Suffer Defeat in Netherlands
Tottenham faces a tougher task in the return leg next week after Lucas Bergvall’s own goal gave AZ Alkmaar a first-leg victory at the AFAS Stadion. While Tottenham dominated possession, they struggled to create meaningful attacks, managing only five shots, none of which were on target.
Postecoglou fielded a strong lineup, but few Tottenham players made a significant impact in the first leg. Mathys Tel was substituted at halftime, having not registered a shot. Heung-min Son sent one shot wide in the second half. Defensively, Spurs were perhaps fortunate to concede only once, allowing 10 shots within their own penalty area.
Adding to Tottenham’s worries for the second leg, Dominic Solanke limped off in the 90th minute after a collision in the AZ penalty area. Making his first appearance since returning from a knee injury in January, the 27-year-old was replaced by Dane Scarlett for the final moments of the game. His manager will be hoping Solanke recovers in time for next week, as Spurs will need to perform much better to remain in the competition, which represents their last chance for silverware this season.
